Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page last week, "I've given instructions to advance legislation of a new law that will enable holding illegal labor infiltrators in custody." Further down he wrote, "We must continue the steps that have totally blocked the infiltration to Israel so far." In summary he wrote, "Illegal infiltrators have no special privileges at the expense of Israel's citizens."

This shows that Netanyahu in fact supports legislation that bypasses a ruling issued by the High Court of Justice. The new proposal merely reduces the African migrants' incarceration period from three years to a year and a half, but still infringes disproportionately on their right to freedom and contradicts the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Freedom. Also, the flow of migrants has all but stopped - already at the end of December 2012, after the fence was built, it was reported that almost nobody crossed the border.

But beyond this, a more fundamental problem seems to be concealed in Netanyahu's rhetoric, which directly influences the entire Israeli discourse.

The former interior minister, Eli Yishai, did everything in his power to dehumanize the migrants from Africa, and the current interior minister, Gideon Sa'ar, sponsored the new bill that continues his predecessor's racist path. Exactly like those two, Netanyahu insists on using the word "infiltrators" to describe a group of people, some of whom escaped states like Eritrea and Sudan, where their lives were in peril, and some of whom are seeking work that would allow them to make a living.

This inflammatory rhetoric is not accidental. Its real aim is to create a widely popular, unconscious resistance to the migration to Israel in itself. The state hasn't bothered to examine the reasons for migration on an individual basis, in violation of the Refugee Convention and basic moral values. This is precisely what generated the need for inciteful propaganda against the refugees and migrants from Africa. This incitement gives a tailwind to legislating draconian laws against this weak group of people.

The combination of inflammatory rhetoric and oppressive laws against the weak is a characteristic of undemocratic states. If Israel doesn't want to be counted among them, Netanyahu, like the rest of the ministers and Knesset members, must stop inciting and improvising laws to circumvent the High Court of Justice. It's time they internalize the most basic fact – the "infiltrators" are first and foremost human beings, who want to live normal lives. Most of them are refugees who deserve Israel's protection. But Israel, which should provide them with this protection, is abandoning its responsibility to do so.

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They are from all over all wanting different things. True there are some
claiming to be refugees although the state has not recognised them as
such. There are also economic migrants who re leaving behind poverty
seeking a better quality of life in Israel. They come for a variety of
reasons and from all over. The thing they have in common is they all
snuck into the country they didn't go through proper channels so that
makes them infiltrators as entering the country that way is illegal
isn't the correct legal definition ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS ? As they are
neither Jews or guests of the state ( people who were allowed to enter
legally ) then what exactly do we owe them, if we owe them nothing why
do we have to take them in?

Who's land did the Jews of Germany and Eastern Europe
"infiltrate"? The land of the ancient "Palestinian
People"? Read your history. Prior to WWI Israel and the entire
Middle East were controlled by the Ottomans. Jews, Arabs, Kurds and
whole host of other real people lived there when the British and French
carved up the territory giving a splinter to the Jews. Then the Arabs in
their 21 states and Arabs in their 57 states threw out all their Jews,
many of whom settled in Israel. Moreover the "Palestinians"
prior to 1964 where, guess who - The Jews of the Holy Basin. Those Arabs
you call "Palestinians" did not exist prior to 1964 and never
would have had not Israel been re-established in 48. Just scrape the
dirt under your feet and you'll find ample evidence of Jewish life here
going back to the time of Moses and no other people have since
constituted a sovereign state in the land of Israel other than the Jews.
I think you need to look up your dictionary definition of "infiltrator".

It's not really surprising. Israel are just doing what west-european
countries should have done ages ago. Close down the borders. No matter
what some people say: we cannot operate as a wellfare office for the
poor in africa.

This word is strange for someone who does not speak Hebrew like me. So,
I tried to understand it the first time I came across it in articles in
this paper. Then, I wrote several times explaining that I understood its
origin lay in the aftermath of the 48 war, when Palestinians tried to
come back to their homes. They were arrested or shot as
"infiltrators." My comments were ignored. Israel among many
other countries has prospered from its refugees. You never know who you
are closing the door on.

"Israel ... has prospered from its refugees" It sue has, but
ask yourself honestly, was that prosperity from the Arabs that came to
Israel or from the Jews? If you are in any doubt, you have only to look
around Israel at the Arab countries and see how they proper!

Talk about inflammatory rhetoric! " the new bill that continues his
predecessor's racist path". Is it not the Supreme Court that
regularly usurps the democratically elected legislators that truly
undermines Israel's democratic credentials? And if these
"refugees" are truly refugees and not merely economic
migrants, they would have had the refuge in Egypt. Why continue on to
Israel then other than for economic reasons? When they entered Egypt
they were refugees but the minute they ventured further into Israel they
became economic migrants and should be sent home or at least back to Egypt.

They don't change into economic migrants the minute they enter a new
country. That notion is incredibly false. Egypt was incredibly unsafe
and was not a place to seek refuge. Eritreans who flee are Coptic
Christians and face incredible danger in Egypt where their churches are
burned to the ground.

Your right, Israel should take in all of Africa and why not throw in all
the Coptics of Egypt. Hell while we're at it, invite the Syrians fleeing
their fellow Syrians. Bring'm all! You see what is happening to Europe,
now Euroasia and no doubt you would like nothing better for that to be
the case for Israel. After 2,000 years of exile, you certainly have the
right answer. In fact most of the "refugees" are Muslim not
Christian but even if they were, can tiny Israel surrounded by
implacable enemies really afford to take in anyone who is not Jewish?

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